Democracy Now!
With Amy Goodman
"The Bush administration is trying to stop the Iraqi government from banning the private military firm Blackwater. Iraqi officials say they've revoked Blackwater's license over a deadly shooting that killed up to eleven civilians. Witnesses say Blackwater guards fired indiscriminately after a car bomb exploded near their convoy. Blackwater is denying wrongdoing and says its guards properly responded to an ambush from insurgents. But Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani called the shootings “a big crime that we can't be silent about.”
U.S. officials have already gone into overdrive to prevent the move. On Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and vowed an investigation. But the Iraqi government appears to be holding ground. Earlier today, Maliki's cabinet said it supports the ban and will review the legal status of all private military companies working in Iraq.
The shootout is only Blackwater's latest controversy in Iraq. The North Carolina-based firm operates under a multi-million dollar contract to protect U.S. officials and facilities. It's been allowed close to free reign under a murky legal environment that offers little to no oversight over its operations.
The author and independent journalist Jeremy Scahill has been closely following Blackwater. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller, “Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army.” Jeremy joins me in the firehouse studio.
And joining me from Washington, D.C. is Doug Brooks. He is president of International Peace Operations Association, a trade group for the private security industry. Blackwater is a founding member......"
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